ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College women's basketball team visited the Hutton Arena for an afternoon game against Hamline today. Though they managed to keep it close through the first half, the Scots couldn't withstand the Pipers' second half onslaught as they fell 63-44. Macalester drops to 10-11 overall and 5-9 in the MIAC, while Hamline rises to 15-6 overall and 10-4 in the MIAC.
The game opened with a long-range barrage from both teams. In the first minute alone, the MIAC rivals combined for three three-pointers, including one from senior guard Peyton Starks (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep). Though the game remained close through most of the first quarter, the Pipers detached themselves from the Scots as they neared the end, due in large part to the sizzling hot hand of Kate Trachsel, who buried three triples in the opening frame, which accounted for nine of the 10 points she would finish with on the afternoon. In that first quarter, the Scots went 2-for-4 from three, while the Pipers went 4-for-6, the highest percentage either team would reach in a quarter all game.
After they went down 22-12 to open the second quarter, the Scots woke up. Senior forward Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) picked off a bad Piper pass to lead Macalester the other way. After a missed shot from Starks, sophomore guard Sydnee Smith (Gainesville, Va./Patriot) swooped in for the offensive board which she worked back to Norquist for a midrange bucket. The two teams traded empty possessions before Machit back-to-back threes, one from sophomore guard Kendall Bernbaum (Dallas, Texas/Shelton School) and the other from senior guard Camille Samuel (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory). In just over four-and-a-half minutes, the Scots had put together an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to two points. However, they could not sustain it. The Pipers kept their lead secure for the rest of the half and headed to the locker room up 29-22.
The third quarter saw the Scots' offense dry up. Though they had stayed in contact with their cross-Snelling rivals for the game to that point, the Pipers turned off their gas as the second half began. Hamline rattled off a 17-0 run to open the third period. Macalester did not score until only 1:24 remained on the quarter clock. All five Scot points in the quarter came from Norquist, who scored them all in a row to send the game into its final frame.
Though Macalester rediscovered their offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter, their efforts were insufficient. Norquist and sophomore guard Mary Daley (Cumberland, R.I./Bishop Feehan) shot a combined 5-of-7 from the field for 12 of the 17 Scot points in the quarter, but Hamline matched that mark with 17 of their own to close out Maclaester.
Norquist led the Scots in the game with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Starks tallied eight points, six rebounds (three on the offensive glass) and two steals. Despite the effort from the Macalester frontline, Hamline killed the Scots on the boards. They had 47 rebounds to the Scots' 25. That discrepancy came from Hamline's impressive display on the offensive glass: the Pipers had 24 offensive boards to the Scots' 10. Hamline's second-half offensive rebounding was especially prominent, when they had 16 offensive boards to the Scots' five.
Macalester returns to action against Saint Benedict on Wednesday Feb. 12. The MIAC contest tips at 7:00 p.m. in St. Joseph, Minn.
